Realtek HD Audio Manager is Not Opening: 5 Ways to Fix it
Rolling back your driver is a quick yet effective way to fix this issue
6 min. read
Updated on
Share this article
This article is translated in
Improve this guide
Read our disclosure page to find out how can you help Windows Report sustain the editorial team Read more
Key notes
- The Realtek HD Audio Manager not opening issue is usually caused by corrupt drivers.
- You might need to roll back or reinstall your drivers to fix this issue.
- Another effective fix is to reinstall the Realtek HD Audio Manager software.
Good audio software is essential, and many users reported that Realtek HD Audio Manager won’t open on their PC.
For some users, the full message reads: There’s a problem with Realtek audio console. Reinstall the application from its original install location or contact your administrator.
If you are in this situation, don’t panic because, just like the Realtek Audio Manager is missing on Windows 10/11, there is no specific cause for this problem. Instead, the common cause of this problem is related to your drivers.
Why is my Realtek HD audio not working?
If the Realtek HD Audio Manager is not opening on your PC, the most likely cause is a variety of issues with your drivers.
It might be that your drivers are outdated or faulty. Also, the problem might be that your current driver version is corrupt. Regardless of the cause, this guide contains the solutions you need to fix the issue.
What is Realtek Audio Console?
Realtek Audio Console is an updated version of Realtek HD Audio Manager that fixes some of the issues from the previous version. It adjusts audio effects and audio setting on your PC.
How do I fix Realtek Audio Console not opening?
1. Check if Realtek HD Audio Manager is available
- Press Windows key + R, type the command below and press Enter:
C:⧵Program Files⧵Realtek⧵Audio⧵HDA⧵
- Find and double-click on the Realtek HD Audio Manager .exe file.
- After doing that, the Realtek Audio Manager should start. If this method works, create a shortcut to the .exe file and move it to your desktop.
If Realtek HD Audio Manager won’t open, perhaps the application isn’t correctly installed on your PC. To see if this software is available, do as described above.
2. Update your audio drivers
2.1. Update drivers manually
- Press the Windows key + X and select Device Manager.
- Double-click on the Sound, video and game controllers option to expand it. Right-click the Realtek Audio driver and select Update driver.
- Choose the Search automatically for drivers option.
- Install any available update and restart your PC.
The Realtek HD Audio Manager not opening issue can b caused by outdated drivers. So, it would help if you considered updating your drivers with the built-in driver updater before using other sophisticated fixes.
2.2. Update driver automatically
Updating your audio drivers manually sounds like a rather daunting task whether you’re a newbie. So, we recommend you use an automatic tool to update all the faulty drivers on your PC.
Besides the apparent goal you’re after, note that it protects your private data from leaking.
On top of that, it’s known to optimize PC performance since it includes many features such as system information, resolution adjuster, and audio fixer. That’s precisely what you need too.
3. Reinstall your drivers
- Open the Device Manager.
- Find and double-click on the Sound video and game controllers section. Right-click the Realtek High Definition Audio and select Uninstall device.
- Click the Uninstall button when asked to confirm the action.
- Now, click the Scan for hardware changes icon at the top.
- Finally, restart your PC.
As said earlier in this article, if Realtek HD Audio Manager is not opening, it’s rather likely that you have a driver issue. To fix the issue, reinstall your drivers by doing as described above.
All these steps should help you reinstall the drivers and resolve the issue you are experiencing. Nevertheless, if the error persists, move on to the next solution.
4. Fix the Realtek Audio Manager
1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. In the dialogue box that pops up, then, type appwiz.cpl and hit the Enter key.
3. Find and select the Realtek Audio Manager from the list.
4. Click on Repair and follow the prompts on your screen.
5. Now, reboot your system and the issue should be gone.
Repairing your Realtek Audio Manager can also fix this issue for you. You can do this via the Programs and Features section in Control Panel.
Simply locate the tool in the list of installed programs and choose to Repair it via the options that appear when you right-click on it.
5. Rollback your drivers
- Open Device Manager.
- Expand the Sound, video and game controllers section.
- Double-click the Realtek High Definition Audio device.
- Click the Driver tab at the top.
- Now, click the Roll Back Driver button.
Realtek HD Audio Manager won’t open at times if your drivers aren’t compatible with your system. However, you can fix this problem by rolling back your drivers.
If this option is greyed out, then you have nothing else to do but to go and uninstall the drivers.
Is Realtek HD Audio Manager necessary?
The Realtek HD Audio Manager works like a control panel to manage your audio drivers. It can detect new devices and allows you to access them easily.
However, it is not crucial to the smooth running of your drivers and PC. But it does not hurt to install the Realtek HD Audio Manager and enjoy the ease of use that comes with it.
We also have a guide that explains what is RtkAudUService64.exe, so don’t miss it if you want to learn more about Realtek software.
We hope these solutions helped you fix the problems with Realtek HD Audio Manager. For more troubleshooting methods, check out how to fix issues with the Realtek HD Audio drivers.
You may also find them useful when facing any of the following problems:
- Realtek audio console not working/Realtek audio console not opening – This error is often accompanied by a message stating Cannot connect to RPC service. Assuming that’s your case too, uninstalling the Realtek drivers seems like a wise move.
- Realtek audio console not loading – If you face this issue, this article gives you practical solutions to fix it in no time. Just refer to the lines above.
- Realtek HD audio manager not working with headphones – Disconnect then reconnect your headphones to your computer in order to see if the error is solved. If not, make sure to reinstall the audio manager as we have shown above.
- How to open Realtek Audio Manager – Note that you may always go to the Control Panel to launch your Realtek HD Audio Manager on Windows 10. Take a look at this guide to fix opening Control Panel issues.
- Rtkngui64 not opening – There are also users who claim that the Audio Manager cannot open. Searching for it and clicking on RtkNGUI64.exe makes no difference, so consider updating your audio drivers as soon as possible.
- Realtek audio console doesn’t support for this machine – This often happens when you’ve updated your audio drivers through Windows Update. The new drivers most likely don’t contain the Extension Driver, so use a third-party tool like Iobit Driver Booster to correct the issue.
Feel free to let us know if you were able to fix this issue with one of our solutions in the comments below.
